


Ask Before Unwrapping

by 221watson



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Communication, Explicit Consent, F/M, Relationship Negotiation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 01:18:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4459721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/221watson/pseuds/221watson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roxy doesn’t have a problem with sex, per se. It’s just that she a few minor trust issues, alright, nothing to worry about, she’s fine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ask Before Unwrapping

Roxy doesn’t have a problem with sex, per se. It’s just that she a few minor trust issues, alright, nothing to worry about, she’s fine. And she is. She likes cuddling, she likes kissing, she likes making out with her partners. But as soon as hands go under clothes or clothes are taken off she feels uneasy. She doesn’t even know why, which is kind of annoying, she just knows that she’d rather not.

This happens with everyone. It also happens with Merlin, because meeting someone you like doesn’t magically solve all of your problems, no matter what the world would like to have you believe. Your problems especially aren’t solved by magic pricks, and she’s found out by now that Merlin does have a prick, because she’s felt it hard against her thigh when they make out. She’s never actually touched it otherwise, and he’s never made a move to take things further. Maybe he knows she doesn’t want to yet. He probably does. Roxy knows she goes tense sometimes, and he always stops what he’s doing and checks in with her, doesn’t do what he was doing again. She finds it hard, for some reason, to speak up when she doesn’t like something. Finds it hard to talk about this kind of stuff in general. It’s easy with Eggsy, because Eggsy isn’t going to get into her pants and never tried to. But with someone she does make out with, does maybe even want to sleep with… it’s hard, no pun intended.

She tries to work on it. The internet is very helpful, especially for sex ed and communication advice, at least once she’s worked her way through all the garbage. Talking is important, they all stress, and she knows that, thank you very much. Actually doing it is the problem. There are suggestions to practice in front of the mirror, saying things like ‘I like it when you do that’, or ‘that doesn’t feel good’. It does help a bit, but in the end a mirror is a mirror and not her partner, who is so incredibly laid-back about the whole physical intimacy thing that it’s annoying. He’s had ages to practice, is what she consoles herself with, but honestly. Some insecurity on his part would help her feel more eat ease. 

Merlin seems far from insecure, though. He never hesitates to hold her close, to deepen a kiss, to groan unabashedly into her mouth when she strokes his tongue with hers. But he always asks permission, which goes a long way to making her feel safe. It’s not always verbal, though often it is. ‘Can I kiss you?’, ‘Do you like having your neck kissed?’, or just leaning in for a kiss and letting her close the gap. 

So yes, Merlin is a damn good catch. None of her previous partners were ever so very aware of asking for consent, checking in regularly and seeing if she’s still enjoying herself. That should make things easier, right? But somehow it doesn’t, not really, and she’s grateful that Merlin seems to understand her non-verbal cues well enough. She tenses, holds her breath, is silent for a while? He checks in with her. It’s a fucking dream, is what it is, but her own discomfort with speaking up is driving her up the wall, especially because it’s absolutely no problem for her in all other areas of her life.

And so she decides that small steps will take her where she wants to go. She comes across a few printables online, the sort where you check ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘maybe’ boxes for different acts of physical intimacy and where there’s room to specify if necessary. She briefly contemplates whether the whole thing isn’t a bit ridiculous, but this is a pretty damn good idea for people in her situation and if Merlin makes fun of it (she doesn’t think he will, though), he deserves a kick in the balls. 

She prints the things, one sheet for her and one for him, and fills hers out with a minor sense of trepidation because she doesn’t seem to check ‘yes’ very often. Hand holding, kissing, and cuddling are fair game, they’ve been doing that for weeks. Undressing gets a maybe, with the specification that taking their shirts off might actually be quite nice, but the rest is off limits for now. Back massages get a yes, shared baths a maybe. Any sex acts… well. Those get a no for now, with grinding being the sole exception to the rule. She’s rubbed herself against Merlin’s thigh already, didn’t even notice doing it because she was so caught up in their kissing. Needless to say she was pretty embarrassed when she did catch on and stopped what she was doing. Merlin had just given her a reassuring smile and a kiss to the forehead and she’s been happy to not dwell on it ever since. 

Fuck it, she thinks. It’s not like he hasn’t noticed that this isn’t exactly the easiest thing for her. She tucks their printables in an envelope, writes a quick note explaining the whole thing, and resolves to leave it on his desk the next day. No need to even look him in the eye while doing it, which is a perfect plan, as far as she’s concerned. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

The first time things get heated between them is about a month after their first date. They’re having tea and a cuddle on Roxy’s sofa, getting distracted from the crap telly they’re watching because kissing is a much better way to spend the time. They kiss for a long time, gentle pecks and long, lingering kisses that gradually get deeper until they’re both a bit breathless. 

Roxy feels amazing on top of him, licking into his mouth and letting him stroke her back. He feels warmth curling in his lower belly as their kisses are reduced to tongues stroking each other, Roxy shifting to get more comfortable, and he slides his hand under her shirt to stroke her bare skin. Which is not a good thing to do, apparently, because she kind of… zones out for a moment? She’s not really responding to his kiss anymore, might even be holding her breath, and Merlin isn’t so thick that he doesn’t notice a non-verbal no when he sees it. So he backs off, pulls his hand away and letting it rest above the fabric of her shirt again, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead and murmuring a quiet “Alright?”

They just cuddle after that, and he can sense that Roxy is a bit embarrassed, but he does his best to make her feel comfortable. They don’t really talk about it, although maybe they should have, but that’s when Merlin knows to tread carefully.

So when he finds an envelope from Roxy on his desk a few weeks later and opens it to find some pretty handy printables inside he’s not overly surprised. It figures that communicating about this while not actually having to look at each other might be easier for her. He carefully reads the list, committing it to memory. Looks fine to him. Pretty damn fine, even. He likes the idea of massages and shared baths, even if the latter is only a ‘maybe’. They can definitely work with this.

He fills out his own list as soon as he has the time. Hand holding, cuddling, kissing, massages, baths, and grinding all get a definite yes. Some sex acts get a maybe or a yes with specifications. His eyes linger on the grinding, thinking back to their one aborted attempt that had ended with a mortified Roxy. It has potential, though, especially since she apparently enjoyed it enough to give it another go. They’ll work it all out, one way or another.

**Author's Note:**

> In the next chapter they'll get down to doing stuff. If there's anything specific you want to see feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments.


End file.
